and the fruits of it are offered to one as well as another But it is true that it was never the intent of his Mind to pardon and save any that would not by Faith and Repentance be converted And in the next page he saith If there be any man that cannot reconcile this truth with the Doctrine of Predestination or the actual damnation of the Wicked that 's his own Ignorance he hath no pretence left to deny or question therefore the truth of the point in hand for this is confirmed by the Oath of God Ezek. 33.11 and therefore must not be distorted to reduce it to other points but doubtful points must rather be reduced to it and certain Truths must be believed to agree with it tho' our shallow Brains do hardly discern the Agreement Thus far Mr. Baxter and now let him rail at him if he pieases for we have given him no occasion but Mr. Baxter hath assigned the ignorance of Mr. Harrison to be the cause But saith Mr. H. The Fourth Error the Anabaptists hold is That a Person truly justified and sanctified and so a branch in Christ united to him may yet fall away and be eternally damned and cites part of the 18th Artitle of the fore-mentioned Confession Answ I will therefore deal impartially and recite the whole Article with the Scriâ—â—â—â—â—… at large and then the World will see that his peeviâ—hness against us is without any just cause Article 18th That such who are true Believers even Branches in Christ the Vine and that in his Account whom he exhorts to abide in him John 15.1 2 3 4 5. I am the true vine and my Father is the Husbandman every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit be purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me I am the vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing or such who have Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned may nevertheless for want of Watchfulness swerve and turn aside from the same v. 6 7. From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling desiring to be Teachers of the Law understanding neither what they say nor what they affirm and become as withered branches cast into the fire and burned John 15. If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned But such who add unto their faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance c. 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. Such shall never fall Ver. 8 9 10. For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do those things ye shall never fall 'T is impossible for all the false Christs and false Prophets that are and are to come to deceive such for they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 I have often wished that all Creeds had been delivered only in the Words of Holy Scripture that it might have prevented those vain Janglings which the World hath been filled with about them and herein I have my Hearts desire in this Article For the Reader may observe that it is delivered in the plain positive and express words of Scripture And yet Behold the fury of this Man's unbridled passion For he hath no sooner recited the Words of the Article but he crys out Abominable Doctrine false dangerous and uncomfortable Doctrine doth this man pretend to be a Gospel-minister and yet dare thus let fly his Rage and Malice against Christ himself and his Blessed Apostles Oh! what a pass is this World come to I shall say no more to such horrid Trifling as this for all he says against us is a stone flung at the head not of the general Anabaptists as he saith but at the head of Christ and his Ambassadours I pray God give him Repentance for it that he may recover himself out of the snare of the Devil who leads him captive at his Will He proceeds in his false Accusations against us and saith that the fifth Error of the Anabaptists is They disown all Ministers Christians and Churches of Christ to be any Ministers Churches or Christians at all but only such as are gathered in their way that is by dipping And for this he quotes part of the 11th Article which is misprinted in his Book the 14th Article I must be forced to recite the whole Article because of his false Representation of it but that is a small thing in his Eyes to belye the Baptists and abuse them for his Book is full of such Railery Article 11th of our Confession of Faith That the right and only way of gathering Churches according to Christ's appointment Mat. 28. 19 23. is first to teach or preach the Gospel Mark 16.15 16. to the Sons and Daughters of Men and then to baptize that is to dip in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit or in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ such only of them as profess Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 2.38 Acts 8.12 Acts 18.8 And as for all such who preach not this Doctrine but instead thereof that Scriptureless thing of Sprinkling of Infants falsly called Baptism whereby the pure Word of God is made of noue effect and the New-Testament way of bringing in Members into the Church by Regeneration cast out when as the Bond-woman and her Son that is to say the Old Testament-way of bringing in Children into the Church by Generation is cast out as saith the Scripture Gal. 4.22 23 24 30. Mat. 3.8 9. All such we utterly deny forasmuch as we are commanded to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness but rather to reprove them Eph. 5.11 This is the Article he quarrels with and by the Grace of God we will abide by it as the true Way and Order of planting a right Gospel-Church Now pray Observe how this Man doth abuse us 1. In that here is nothing spoken of in this Article but the right way of gathering Churches according to Christ's appointment and we only deny them to
So that the main design of the Apostle among other Mercies of God bestowed upon that People is to commemorate that great and wonderful deliverance at the Red Sea and then to shew us what an ungrateful People they were thus to sin against him and to cause him for their sins to destroy them in the Wilderness And if this be the Scope of the place as I believe it is that so we might be warned by their fall to avoid falling into Apostacy against God as they did and had our translators so rendred the word as it imports in our English Tongue no Man would ever have dreamt of an Ordinance of Baptism from this Text. If notwithstanding all that I have said upon the Text Mr. H. will still insist upon it that it was a Baptism and that by sprinkling I shall oppose thereto the Dutch Translators to shew him their Opinion to the contrary who being Presbyterians their words may possibly have the greater force upon his Understanding They read it thus Ende alle in Mosen gedoopt Zin And they were all dipt unto Moses So that you may see the Learned Men in Holland of his own perswasion do directly contradict what he saith I will only offer one Consideration more and so pass it viz. That by the same Argument that in the word all their Infants were included their Cattle were included also for they all passed under the Cloud and thro' the Sea as well as their Little Ones for it is written Exod 10.26 Our Cattle also shall go with us there shall not a hoof be lest behind And altho' the Papists are for baptizing of Bells I hope Mr. H. will not be also for baptizing of Cattle even the Beasts of the field But let him avoid the consequence if he can in case it be not restrained to the Fathers as in the Text. The next thing Mr. H. insists upon is That there are three sorts of Baptism that of Water that of the Spirit and that of Afflictions to which I concede And whereas he saith it 's expressed by one Greek Word I do also agree but that those three as he saith are but one Baptism that I deny He is the first that I ever knew affirm it But pray Sir consider what you say Is Water the Spirit and Fire Is Affliction the Spirit or Water Affliction or Fire Water Take it which way you will I believe you will find it attended with difficulties Indeed Sir it 's one of the most intricate Metaphors that you have yet sported your self with in your whole Book and if you understand it no better than I do you might have forbore to acquaint the World with the conceited fineness of the thought But Sir I suppose I may have the same liberty to give you my thoughts as you had to impart yours The Text you have brought to prove that these three Baptisms are but one and exprest by one word is Eph. 4.5 One Lord one Faith one Baptism How this proves that those three Baptisms are but one Baptism I see not Sir you are very unhappy in one thing to lay down Assertions and when you come to prove it you urge such Texts that do not conclude the thing in Question but altho' this doth not prove three to be one and so afford us a new sort of Trinity I will not be so ungentile as not to give you my thoughts upon the Text before I pass it There is a threefold Baptism spoken of in the New Testament viz. That of Water that of Affliction and that of the Spirit and yet the Apostle here speaks after this manner one Baptism as there is one Lord one God c. Now my thoughts are these That it is Water-baptism only that is here intended And my Reason is this because to speak properly there is no other real baptism for the other two are figurative and metaphorical But besides The Apostle is there speaking of those Believers as incorporated into one body and as having been called into one hope of their calling having Christ for their one Lord and one Faith to unite them to this one Lord and one Baptism to make them visible Members of this one body the Church which Mr. H. owns to be an initiating Ordinance and God as their one common Father to supply all their wants and that these Persons that were members of this Church were baptized with water upon believing you may see Acts 19. beginning And this seems to me the most probable sense of those words One Baptism Now that it is a real Baptism is evident For as the word signifies to dip plunge or overwhelm them in the water and as it signifies the Burial and Resurrection of Christ so in respect of the thing done it 's a real act for that every person who is truly baptized as I have shewed above is plunged into the water and also raised up again out of the water the thing is really performed But that of Affliction is only metaphorical alluding to this of water as likewise also that of the Spirit and of Fire But perhaps Mr. H. may imagine that to be the Baptism of Affliction which is not and therefore let us hear what he saith about it As to the Baptism of Affliction saith he some soffer more some less some suffer lighter crosses as Mocks c. some loss of goods and liberty others Death when he hath said this he then delivers his Opinion about it in these words Now he that suffers least for Christ in a Christian manner doth as truly partake of the Baptism of Afflictions as he that suffers most Now suppose I deny this as I must how doth he prove it why he quotes no Text here but in the foregoing page Mark 10.39 Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of and with the baptism that I am baptized withall shall ye be baptized That this is the Baptism of Affliction I own We must now enquire what this hath a principal respect unto for there is something more than common intended in these words In Luke 12.50 our Saviour saith I have a Baptism to be baptized withall and how am I strained till it be accomplished Now this can be no other than that Death and bitter Agony he was to undergo for our sins that he might bring us to Glory And by his prediction to his Disciples in Mark 10.39 he foretold their deaths also for his sake Now as a Person that is baptized in water is overwhelmed therewith even so that bitter Agony our Lord endured in the Garden and upon the Cross when his Soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death before wicked men had so much as laid their hands upon him it pleased the Lord so to bruise him and put him to grief that his sweat was as it were drops or clotters of blood falling down to the ground And when he was upon the Cross how did he cry out by reason of that sorrow that overwhelm'd his Soul
My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And what great torture some of the blessed Martyrs have endured is not unknown This therefore I take to be meaning of those words I will close this in the words of a Learned Protestant Writer J. G. I shall saith he say no more of this Baptism but only leave this Note That every suffering is not the Baptism of suffering but only great and deep sufferings unto blood and death Hence the Ancients call it the Baptism of Blood in opposition to a lesser degree or measure of suffering being dipped and plunged into afflictions So Wilson's Dictionary And still this carries the signification of the Word with it Some conceive this phrase to be borrowed from such places in the Old Testament as these Psal 42.7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water spouts all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me Psal 69.1 2. Save me O God for the waters are come in unto my Soul I sink in deep mire where there is no standing I am come into deep waters where the floods overflow me Psal 88.7 Thy wrath lyeth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves Selah Ezekiel 26.19 For thus saith the Lord God when I shall make thee a desolate City like the Cities that are not inhabited when I shall bring up the deep upon thee and great waters shall cover thee In the next place Mr. H. proceeds to speak of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and of Fire for which he cites Mat. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Now I perceive Mr. H. is as much mistaken in the true Notion about this Baptism as he is in the other two and indeed 't is common for one Error to follow another at the heels What need therefore have Christians in general and more especially those that are Ministers who are Guides to others to be very cautious of admitting any thing for truth but what they have good Authority for from the Word of God The Lord pour out of his Spirit to give us more light and to make us all sincere I find by his citing these Texts in Isa 52.15 Ezek. 36.25 and Heb. 10.22 that it is his Opinon That Regeneration wrought in the Soul by the Spirit is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and of Fire For saith he the giving of the Spirit is expressed by sprinkling Now for my part I am quite of another mind for as I do not believe that any were baptized with that Baptism from the beginning of the World to the coming of the Messiah so neither do I think that any have been baptized with it since the miraculous Gifts of the Spirit did cease after the Apostle's days And to make it appear that it 's more than only the sanctifying Graces of the Spirit I might recite the Opinions of divers learned Men I shall content my self with what is already prepared to my Hand by a Learned Pen whose Words are these That this Phrase hath a further meaning in it see Wilson's Dictionary Also the Learned Cameron and Dr. Hammond on this place viz. Mat. 3.11 who both refer and that rightly this for the further opening of it unto Acts 2.3 4. There appeared unto them cloven Tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance So that this Baptism of Fire hath clearly reference unto and was fulfilled in this extraordinary appearance of the Spirit like as of fire That this was the Baptism of the Spirit promised Mat. 3. and Luke 3. appears further by Acts 1.4 5. The Apostles being assembled together Christ commanded them that they should not depart from Hierusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which saith he ye have heard of me For John truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence Which was accordingly fulfilled Acts 2. See also Acts 11.15 16. the Case of Cornelius as reported by Peter As I began to speak the Holy Spirit fell on them as on us at the beginning viz. in Acts 2. before-mentioned Then remembred I the Word of the Lord how that he said John indeed baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit This Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire is first called a pouring out of the Spirit in the Old as in Joel 2.28 29. and the Baptism thereof in the New Testament Acts 2. as borrowing its phrase from the Baptism of Water Mat. 3.11 still carrying the signification of the word with it both terms to wit a pouring forth of the Spirit and Baptism in opposition to a sprinkling or dropping of the Spirit in the ordinary measures thereof Moreover The account we have of it Acts 2.2 proves it And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of à rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost c. From whence I observe the resemblance it had to the Baptism of Water For 1. They were filled with it 2. It sat upon each of them 3. The House was filled therewith So that it was not only about them but it covered or overwhelm'd them even as the water doth in Baptism 4. All that were baptized with this Baptism had the Gift of Tongues 5. It is to be observed that the Spirit was not thus given before For they were all amazed at it and said one to another what meaneth this Ver. 12. and this did agree with that promise of our Saviour John 7.37 c. This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified From hence I infer It could not be the ordinary Gifts of the Spirit with the sanctifying Graces thereof for this the Apostle had before his death but such an eminent pouring forth which is called the Baptism of the Spirit by which they received the Gift of Tongues and Prophesie by which they were endued with power from on high to execute their Masters Commission Mat. 28.19 20. Mark 16.15 To go into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature This they did not receive till that wonderful pouring of it out upon the day of Pentecost Acts 2. it was a Gift reserved till that time to put a Glory upon the Messiah in the presence of those who had been his Murderers By this time I hope Mr. H. is satisfied of his Ignorance about points of such Importance as these are I wish with all my Soul that he were a Man of that meekness of Spirit which he ought to be so as to be willing to learn the truth as it
force c. Now John of Leyden had no hand at all in any of these Disturbances neither as the Beginner nor Promoter thereof for as yet he had not been at Munster But upon the 14th of February 1533. which was the year following John of Leyden came thither a strange selfish and opinionative Man who altho' he might stand up for Believers Baptism this we are sure of he differ'd in almost all other points with those of the Baptist Perswasion And after several Disputations he tells us that among other things Bernard Rotman taught John of Leyden this Opinion That it is lawful for Men not only to defend but also to propagate their Religion by Force and Arms. In the end the fore-named Persons with other Lutherans some of which agreed with John of Leyden in the point of Baptism plotted together to make a full Reformation in Religion by force and to make their beginning in Munster And when he hath told us of their opposition they made against the Bishop of Munster and the Papists with him and how they were subdu'd by the Munsterians he concludes thus This is indeed that Tragedy which was acted at Munster which was not contrived and managed by those called Anabaptists but the first rise of it must be charged upon the Lutherans and in particular Bernard Rotman and his Allies But had the Lutherans succeeded in their designed Reformation they would not have been ashamed thereof but would have much gloried in the Action and not have given the Honour of it to the Anabaptists whereupon was formerly made this following Verse in Dutch which I have rendred into English If that a Reformation had Succeeded by this Fact No Anabaptist should have had The Honour of this Act But Luther or some other Man Whom Rotman had ador'd Must then have been advanc'd on high And crowned as a Lord. The like Account may be seen in a Treatise Entituled The profundity of Innocence Printed at Haerlem Anno 1631. Also in the annexed History of the Martyrs before the Introduction with the divers Attestations of Bernard Rotman Godfrey Stralensis Rullius and others the Defenders of Lutheranism at Munster which being found written under their own hands presently after this Action were printed and published c. I could say more about it but this may suffice to convince Mr. H. how shamefully he hath abused us in this matter and therefore I may spare my pains to return answers to all his particular abusive Reflections Having done with the Story of John of Leyden I come now to consider what he saith of the rest of them whose Names he hath affixt They saith he fancying themselves inspired from above most confidently uttered their Heretical blasphemiâ—â— which were 1. That no Infant ought to be baptized 2. None were rightly baptized but such as were dipped These two plain and undeniable Truths this Man hath the confidence to call Heretical Blasphemies You may guess by this what a latitude he allows himself in the exercise of Billingsgate Rhetorick Pray Sir consider Suppose these two were Errors yet they could not be Heresies nor Blasphemies For if they are so you have declared your self for Communion with Hereticks and Blasphemers For in Part 2. page 50. speaking of the particular Baptists you say you can bear with them in these two points and give them the right hand of Fellowship as Brethren if they have no other Errors Let them but be like-minded to me and the Peace and Quiet of the Church will never be interrupted by either of us Now the Apostle saith Titus 3.10 11. Him that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject For he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned in himself And of Hymeneus and Alexander he saith whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1.20 But if Mr. H. be contrary to himself it 's no wonder to find him so to the blessed Apostle 3ly Mr. H. saith That Magistrates were not to be suffered in the Church No Christian ought be a Magistrate Answ I know not what he means by Magistrates in the Church nor himself neither there is no such thing in Rerum Natura But suppose some Christians have scrupled the lawfulness thereof and were willing to deny themselves therein is this Heresie and Blasphemy 4ly That it was Unlawful to take an Oath Answ Suppose it were so that some of them did scruple it he doth not shew his Loyalty to King Willam by charging it as a blasphemous Heresie for by Act of Parliament it 's made lawful for the People called Quakers to give their Testimony without an Oath 5. That there ought to be no difference between the Clergy and Laity that every one that hath Gifts might preach and administer the Sacraments Answ I fancy this Gentleman doth not know whence the word Clergy is derived if he doth he hath shewed his profound ignorance in this Assertion I shall therefore inform him in what sence it 's used in the New Testament 1 Pet. 5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred by our Translators Heritage and that we may understand the true intent and meaning of the Apostle therein read but the 1 2 and 3. verses together and you will find that he is speaking to the Elders or Ministers and that he is speaking of the Flock of God over which he had made them Overseers and that he applies the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clergy or Heritage to the People distinct from their Ministers As to the second That every one that hath Gifts may preach I answer If he means every one that hath received Gifts from God to fit him for that work it 's certainly true And if he or any other take upon them to preach without a Gift from God to qualifie them for that work they certainly run before they are sent For all Humane Authority without Divine Ability can never qualifie any for that Undertaking But is this a blasphemous Heresie 6ly That there is no Original Sin Answ If there be any sin in the World it must have a beginning If there be a second there must be a first Either he knows not what he talks of or else I affirm there were no such Men in the World neither of our perswasion or any other 7. That Man hath Free-Will Answ This Position was never denyed by any Mortal either Heathen Jew or Christian that I know of All Men agree that Wicked Mens Wills are free to do evil and the Wills of those who are regenerated and sanctified by the Holy Spirit are free to do good To will is present with me Rom. 7.18 8ly That the Father Son and Holy Ghost are not three distinct Persons and in Nature and Essence one God They made every Saint equal with Christ That Christ is not God Answ I believe this to be a false Accusation and shall return it to the Father of Lyes from whence it came 9ly They denyed
saved and in ver 6. how God hath demonstrated this good will of his to all men by asserting that Christ gave himself a ransom for all and in the same Epistle Chap. 4.10 who is the Saviour of all men Now this must be understood of his putting men into a capacity of Salvation by the death of his Son as having afforded all men thereby a Sufficiency of means to obtain it otherwise it is not true for it 's manifest that eventially all men are not saved which by the way proves that God did not absolutely but conditionally will their Salvation by putting them into a capacity to obtain it through Christ I know that all this stir about and opposition against the Death of Christ being sufficient for all and every man is founded upon that false Notion which some have of late licked up from the Stoicks Doctrine of Fate That God hath so determined the Actions of all men by an absolute Decree that there can nothing come to pass in the world without it and that he hath made the greatest number of Men on purpose to damn them and that their sins foreseen were not the cause of his Decree but his Decree the cause both of their Sin and Punishment And that God did not intend any of these should enjoy any saving benefit by the death of his Son and from thence it is they have formed this fancy in their own Imaginations Christum mortuum pro solis electis that Christ dyed only for the Elect. Now this Opinion of theirs hath been Anathemized above 1200 years ago as I find it recorded by a very Learned Author in these words Synodus Arelatensis habita circa annum 490. Anathema illi qui dixerit quod Christus non pro omnibus mortuus sit nec omnes homines salvos esse velit Besides I suppose Mr. Harrison hath qualified himself by Law for a Presbyterian Teacher and then he hath subscribed to the 39 Articles of the Church of England The 31st Article thereof is The offering of Christ once made is a perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the sins of the whole World both original and actual And agreeable to this Bishop Vsher saith We may safely conclude that the Lamb of God offering himself a Sacrifice for the sins of the whole World intended by giving sufficient satisfaction to God's Justice to make the Nature of man which he assumed a sit Object for mercy and to prepare a Medicine for the sins of the whole World which should be denyed to none that intended to take the benefit of it And he also assigns the reason why all are not saved notwithstanding this purchase in these Words But all do not obtain actual remission because most offenders do not take out and plead their pardon as they ought to do Why doth not Mr. H. quarrel with and rail at the Church of England and her Doctors and Bishops have not they given him as much cause as the Baptists But alas he knows full well they esteem such a one as he below their Anger All the Arguments he brings to prove his position being founded upon that word alike they all vanish like smoak before the Wind For suppose that were granted which he labours so much to prove viz. That Christ did not in some sence dye alike for all I do not see how that would in the least hurt the cause we contend for i. e. That he dyed with an Intention to save all if they repent and believe and that he hath afforded a sufficiency of means to all Let them allow this and I will not contend about the other 3. The third Error of the Anabaptists saith he and why not of some of the most Learned and Eminent Doctors of the Church of England is this That God affords all men universal and sufficient Grace and consequently a power of Free-will to be saved if they will The former part of this Charge I own according to the 4th Article of our Confession in the Words by him cited All Men are at one time or other put into such a capacity as that through the Grace of God they may be eternally saved And he rails bitterly at us for saying that if any perish it is not for want of the means of Grace but for the non-improvement of the Grace of God freely offered through Christ And in this Doctrine saith he Papists Socinians Arminians and Anabaptists are all agreed Is it not as true in this Doctrine also that there is but one only true God and one Lord Jesus Christ in which Papists Socinians Arminians Baptists and Presbyterians are all agreed Doth their agreement make it a false Doctrine Surely no. As for his two Reasons I shall speak to them in their order 1. For his instance of the Pagan Heathen World he saith many of them have never heard of Christ c. And therefore concludes they have no sufficient Grace nor means of Salvation Now saith he of these we boldly deny this Monstrous and Erroneous Assertion Answ But as monstrous as it is in his Eyes what if I sorce him to acknowledge his reasoning from it to be wholly groundless from his own Principle viz. That some persons may be saved by Christ without a particular knowledge of him or an explicite Faith in him then some of these Heathens may be saved by Christ and may have a sufficiency of means for their Salvation notwithstanding his contrary Assertion That he holds such an Opinion I prove thus because he asserts That all Elect Infants dying in Infancy are saved Now this must be by Christ altho' they are no more capable to know him and believe in him than those Heathens he speaks of What he says about their incapacity because they have no Preachers to instruct them c. those sayings relates to such as have the Gospel among them upon whom those Duties are enforced and do not relate to Heathens that lye under an invincible Ignorance no more than they do to little Infants For as Dr. Tho. Goodwin saith in his Aggravations of Sin c. Positive Laws come to be in force only where they are promulgated God doth not exact impossible things from his Creatures and then punish them because they do not obey him therein for it is an act of high Injustice shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right Let Mr. H. take care to ensure his own Salvation and not trouble himself with those Secrets which belong only to God Who made him I pray a Judge of Heathens that he presumes to sentence them thus by whole-sale to the torments of Hell fire For the Lord our God is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his Works He is the God of the Spirits of all flesh And he hath sent his Son to dye for them all which bespeaks his great Love towards them from whence we have reason to hope better things than that he made so many thousand millions of Souls